September 6, 2012Warriors Name Gail Hunter Vice President Of Public Affairs & Event ManagementJoins Organization After Spending Last 13 Years Overseeing Major Domestic & International Events For The NBA

The Golden State Warriors have hired Gail Hunter as Vice President of Public Affairs and Event Management, it was announced today. In this multifaceted role, Hunter will lead the organization’s community engagement efforts in San Francisco with regards to the planning and construction of the proposed privately financed sports and entertainment complex on Piers 30-32 and Seawall Lot 330 in The City; serve as the organization’s liaison with the groups that collectively operate Oracle Arena, including the Joint Powers Authority, AEG and Levy Restaurants; and serve as the Executive Director of the Warriors Foundation – the charitable arm of the Golden State Warriors.

Hunter joins the Warriors after 13 years at the National Basketball Association, the last ten of which she served as the league’s Senior Vice President, Events and Attractions. In this role she managed the NBA’s and WNBA’s domestic and international grassroots marketing programs, including NBA All-Star, NBA All-Star Jam Session, NBA Jam Van, NBA Summer League and NBA Nation. Hunter’s duties with these events included the conceptualization of overall event themes, designs and elements, while also overseeing production, operations, sponsorship management, execution, public relations, marketing and advertising. Additionally, she served as the NBA All-Star liaison with the host team, city and governmental entities, and community organizations.

“We’re elated with the addition of Gail to our talented executive staff,” said Joe Lacob, the team’s Co-Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “She has a proven record in the sports and entertainment business and is incredibly well-respected for her vast accomplishments in the industry. Her experience with the NBA and Major League Baseball and their high-profile events will serve her tremendously well in this new capacity with the Warriors.”

“I’m really excited to be a part of this new management team and to have the chance to work with an extremely dynamic staff and ownership group,” said Hunter. “The opportunity to be affiliated with the new San Francisco sports and entertainment project for the Warriors, among other things, is very appealing. This is an exciting time in the Bay Area.”

Prior to joining the NBA in 1999, Hunter served as the Director of Corporate Marketing for the Seattle Mariners, where she was in charge of corporate sponsorship sales, corporate development, marketing, and ballpark planning for Safeco Field. Before joining the Mariners, she spent seven years (1991-98) as Director of Promotional Events for Major League Baseball, where she developed and managed baseball’s premier All-Star event, All-Star Fan Fest.

Hunter earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 in theatre arts from the Fredonia campus of the State University of New York and earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1986. A member of the Washington State Bar, she practiced with the firm of Schweppe, Krug and Tausend in Seattle before beginning her sports business career in 1989 as the Assistant Director of Championships for the NCAA.

An active member of WISE (Women In Sports & Events) who serves as a mentor in the WISE Within mentorship program, Hunter was named a 2012 WISE Women of the Year Award recipient this past February.